Short-chain fatty acid

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Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), also referred to as volatile fatty acids (VFAs),[1] are fatty acids with an aliphatic tail of less than six carbon atoms.[2]

List of SCFAs

Lipid number Name Salt/Ester Name Formula Mass
(g/mol)
Diagram
Common Systematic Common Systematic Molecular Structural
Formic acid Methanoic acid Formate Methanoate CH2O2 HCOOH 46.03
C2:0 Acetic acid Ethanoic acid Acetate Ethanoate C2H4O2 CH3COOH 60.05
Acetic-acid-2D-skeletal.svg
C3:0 Propionic acid Propanoic acid Propionate Propanoate C3H6O2 CH3CH2COOH 74.08
Propionic acid chemical structure.svg
C4:0 Butyric acid Butanoic acid Butyrate Butanoate C4H8O2 CH3(CH2)2COOH 88.11
Butyric acid acsv.svg
Isobutyric acid 2-Methylpropanoic acid Isobutyrate 2-Methylpropanoate C4H8O2 (CH3)2CHCOOH 88.11
C5:0 Valeric acid Pentanoic acid Valerate Pentanoate C5H10O2 CH3(CH2)3COOH 102.13
Isovaleric acid 3-Methylbutanoic acid Isovalerate 3-Methylbutanoate C5H10O2 (CH3)2CHCH2COOH 102.13
Isovaleric acid structure.png

Applications

Dietary relevance

Short-chain fatty acids are produced when dietary fiber is fermented in the colon.[3]

Short-chain fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids are primarily absorbed through the portal vein during lipid digestion,[4] while long-chain fatty acids are packed into chylomicrons and enter lymphatic capillaries, and enter the blood first at the subclavian vein.

Medical relevance

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See also

References

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Further reading

  1. "Role of Volatile Fatty Acids in Development of the Cecal Microflora in Broiler Chickens during Growth" at asm.org
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